Christmas Island residents want casino reopened

Residents on remote Christmas Island, 2,500 kilometres north-west of Perth, say whoever wins the federal election on Saturday must commit to reopening the local casino or the island's economy will continue to suffer.

In 2004 the Federal Government blocked an application to reopen the casino on the grounds of possible negative impacts on the island's social fabric.

In the mid 1990s it was believed the casino, which folded in 1998 after the the Asian economic crisis, turned over more money than all the mainland casinos combined.

Russell Payne from the local Chamber of Commerce says its ongoing closure has been costly to the Indian Ocean territory.

"We've been doing a study on it and it'd gone past the $200 million mark, that's employment of 300 odd staff," he said.

"The net effect of having 250 tourists on the island every day and the Commonwealth Government just in a single swipe just denied us of all of that, just guttered the community."

The Coalition Senator representing Christmas Island says he would like to see the local casino reopened despite the Federal Government's objections.

Senator Nigel Scullion says moves are being made to secure land tenure of the casino grounds.

"I know [it] has been well documented there was some allegations of dodgy dealings, money laundering and all those sorts of aspects," he said.

"I've been assured... it's all historical, that the time taken is to assure all parties that those sort of activities are not going to take place in the future."

Member for the seat of Lingiari which covers Christmas Island, Nigel Scullion, says a Labor Government would support a reopened casino provided certain standards are met.

Mr Snowdon has ridiculed Senator Scullion's support.

"Nigel Scullion may himself believe there should be a casino licence, John Howard has said that if he's in government there will not be," he said.

"So lets get the hypocrisy out of this or the double speak, under a Coalition there will be no licence allowed."